Gravity actuated toy vehicle having auxiliary jet propulsion means

ABSTRACT

A toy wheeled vehicle carries a tank adapted to be filled with a pressurized fluid through an inlet provided with a one-way valve. A tank outlet at the rear of the vehicle is closed by a plug hinged to the vehicle. The plug carries an arm adapted to strike a projection located along the path of travel of the vehicle while the latter is moving under the influence of gravity. The plug is thereby removed from the outlet permitting a jet of fluid to issue from the outlet and give the vehicle a burst of forward thrust.

United States Patent [21] Appl. No. [22] Filed [45] Patented [73] Assignee [54] GRAVITY ACTUATED TOY VEHICLE HAVING AUXILIARY JET PROPULSION MEANS 10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs. 1 v

Primary Examiner-Louis G, Mancene Assistant Examiner-Robert F. Cutting Attorney-Breitenfe1d and Levine U-S. Cl- A toy wheeled vehicle carries a tank adapted to 273/86 be filled with a pressurized fluid through an inlet provided [5 l lI It. CL .4 with a one way valve. A tank outlet at the rear fthe vehicle is FIG 0 Search 46/1 closed by a plug to the vehicle The plug carries an arm 76 (A), 206; 273/85 (G), 86 adapted to strike a projection located along the path of travel [56] R f C1 ed of the vehicle while the latter is moving under the influence of e erences I gravity. The plug is thereby removed from the outlet per- UNITED STATES PATENTS mitting a jet of fluid to issue from the outlet and give the vehi- 2,410,682 1 1/1946 Richardson 46/95 cle a burst of forward thrust.

. l 19 18 20 12 4L 11 29 I 36 as 41 V l i as 97 /51 i 2a 4o Y L\ I i I j a J I 26 3 5 2a 21 1a 1 as car being indicated at 11 and a p obviously could be any other suitable gas, or even a'liquid.

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GRAVITY ACTUATED TOY VEHICLE IIAVING AUXILIARY JET PROPULSION MEANS This invention relates to toy wheeled vehicles of the type adapted to move at relatively is at least partially inclined, the primary motive force on such vehicles being the force of gravity.

It is an object of the present invention to provide such a vehicle with a self-contained auxiliary propulsion means adapted to automatically come into action after the vehicle has been set in motion, such as by the influence of gravity, so as to alter the motion of, e.g., speed up, the vehicle.

To achieve this objective, the invention provides a toy wheeled vehicle with a tank adapted to be filled with a pressurized fluid, such as air. The outlet of the tank is closed by a plug having a projecting actuating arm adapted to strike a projection located along the path of travel of the vehicle. Upon contact of the arm and projection, the plug is knocked out of the tank outlet thereby producing a jet of fluid from the tank which alters the motion of the vehicle. If the fluid jets toward the rear of the vehicle, the speed of the vehicle increases due to the jet. Thereafter, the tank is refilled and the vehicleused again.

One intriguing way to use the present invention is to provide a track having an initial 'inclined portion followed by a long horizontal portion, the projection being placed in the horizontal portion of the track at a point spaced relatively far from the bottom of the inclined portion. The vehicle with its pressurized tank is placed at the top of the inclined track portion and released. As the vehicle traverses the inclined portion, of course it gains speed and enters the horizontal portion moving quite rapidly. Moving along the horizontal portion; the vehicle slows down until the arm on the plug strikes the projection, at which time the jet of fluid produced gives the vehicle a burst of forward speed. The play value of the toy is increased when at least two such tracks are placed side-by-side, and a car on each track is raced against a car on the other track or tracks.

Although it is deemed preferable for the jet of fluid to issue rearwardly from the vehicle, so as to increase its speed of forward motion, if desired, the jet could issue in any direction so as to alter the-vehicle motion in a different way. For example,

if the jet issues toward the front of the vehicle, obviously it will causea slowing of the vehicle, and if the jet issues toward one side or the other it can be caused to alter the direction of vehicle travel. 1

Additional objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view through a toy wheeled vehicle incorporating a pressurized fluid tank;

H6. 2 is a top view of the tank; and

P16. 3 is a rearview of the tank.

The vehicle chosen to illustrate the present simulated racing car having a stylized body 10, the front of the the rear at 12'. The'body carries a pair of wire axles I3 rotatably supporting wheels 14. Thus, wheels 14 rollably support the car, such as upon a track surface, a portion of a length of track being indicated at 15.

Hidden within body 10, and fixed to the latter, is a tank 18 adapted to be filled with a pressurized fluid. In the present exthe fluid will be referred to as air; however, the fluid Tank 18 comprises a frontsection 19 and a rear section 20 pennanently joined, such as by cement, at the seam 217 The tank is completely airtight, except for an inlet port 22 formed in the front section, and an outlet 23 formed in the rear section.

Inlet port 22 communicates with a forward tubular extension 26 adapted to be connected to a source of pressurized air which may be a simple air pump. Tank section 19 is formed with an internal cylindrical bore 27, coaxial with inlet port 22, and a valve seat 28 at the base of the bore sur rounds the inlet port. A valve member 29,- shown as a disc of resilient material, such as rubber, is slidably accommodated high speeds along atrack which invention is a propriate point in' the track, the

within bore 27 .for movement toward and away from valve seat 28. An element 30, preferably of sheet metal, is arranged at the end of bore 27 opposite to valve seat 28-, the element 30 being press fit into place so that it cannot move toward the of tank 18, thereby filling the latter with compressed air. The tank may be filled to any pressure desired, but it has been found that pressurizing the tank interior to about l50 pounds per square inch serves the purposes of this invention adequately. When the tank 18 has been filled, the pressurizing means may be removed from extension 26, and the combined force of the air pressure within the tank and the spring 31 press valve member 29 against seat 28 to prevent flow of air from within the tank through inlet port 22 In the present example, outlet 23 is a tubular appendage of tank 18, having an interior bore 35 whose walls diverge rearwardly (toward the right in FIG. 1). The outlet may be closed by a correspondingly tapered plug 34 which fits'frictionally within bore 35. The cross-sectional area of outlet bore 35 and plug 34 are small I enough, in relation to the cross-sectional area of tank *18, that even with a relatively high pressure within the tank (e.g., of the order of I50 p.s.i.') the fluid pressure force on the end of plug34-is not sufficient to overcome the frictional force between the plug and the walls of the bore, especially when the plug is formed of a relatively resilient material such as a suitable plastic. Consequently, the air pressure within the tank does not blow plug 34 out of bore 35.

For convenience, plug 34 is hinged to tank 18, so that the plug will not be lost when removed from bore 35. For this purpose, the rear end of tank section 20 is formed with a plate 36, and a U-shaped clip 37 is provided, the clip being preferably of sheet metal and having a slot 38 in its bent central portion. The arms of clip 37 grip plate 36'between them, and a tooth 39 struck inwardly from one arm of the clip digs'into the plate and prevents removal of the clip from the plate. An extension 40 projects upwardly from plug 34, at an acute angle to the axis of the plug, extends through slot 38, and carries a pivot pin 41 at its upper end. Pivot pin 41 is rotatable within the space defined by the end of plate 36 and the bent central portion of clip 37. Projecting rearwardly from plug 34 is a finger piece 42, adapted to be grasped by the user of the toy, to aid in manipulating the plug into bore 35.

An actuating means or arm 45 depends from plug 34 and extends almost to the top surface of track 15. At an aplatter is furnished with an upstanding projection 46 located in the path of travel of arm 45. It will be appreciated that if the car is moving in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1, arm 45 will strike stationary projection 46 and flip plug 34 out of outlet bore 35 and in the direction of arrow B'about the axis of pin 41. As a result, thecompressed air within tank 18 jets out of outlet 23 giving the car a burst of additional forward speed. When the car comes to a halt, plug 34 may be reinserted in bore 35, and the tank 18 refilled the compressed air.

Although in the present illustrative embodiment, the projection 46 is in the track, and actuating arm 45 projects downwardly, obviously a comparable abutment may be located in any suitable orientation along the path of travel of the car, e.g., above the car or to the side of it, and actuating arm 45 rearranged to contact the abutment as the car moves past it.

The invention has been shown and described in preferred form only, and byway of example, and it is understood, therefore, that many variations may be made in the invention which will still be comprised within its spirit.

We claim:

1. A toy vehicle comprising:

- a. a vehicle body;

b. wheels carried by said body for rollably supporting the latter;

c. atank carried by said body, said tank being adapted to be filled with a fluid under pressure and having a fluid outlet;

d. a removable closure adapted to close said fluid outlet;

and

e. actuating means projecting from said vehicle body and adapted to strike a projection located along the path of travel of the vehicle, when the latter is in motion; for removing said closure from said outlet, thereby permitting a jet of fluid to burst from said tank and alter the motion of the vehicle.

2. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said tank has a fluid inlet, and a one-way valve associated with said inlet for allowing fluid flow into said tank but preventing flow out of said tank through said inlet.

- 3. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 2 wherein said fluid inlet includes a port surrounded by a valve seat, and said one-way valve includes a valve member inside said tank movable into and out of engagement with said valve seat to close and open the valve, respectively, a spring support fixed within said tank, and a compression spring between said spring support and said valve member for urging said valve member toward said valve seat.

4. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said fluid outlet opens toward the rear of the vehicle, whereby when the jet of fluid issues from said outlet the vehicle is given a forward thrust.

5. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said closure is pivotally mounted with respect to said tank and swingable 7 between positions in which it closes and opens said fluid outlet, respectively, said closure being swingable from the position in which it closes said fluid outlet to a position in which said fluid outlet is open when said actuating means strikes a projection.

6. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 5 wherein said pivotal mounting includes a pivot pin to which said closure is connected, a plate fixed with respect to said tank, and a U-shapedclip having a pair of arms gripping said plate between them, the bent central portion of said clip being spaced from the end of said plate, and said pivot pin being pivotally accommodated within said clip central portion.

7. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said closure is a tapered plug adapted to fit frictionally within said fluid outlet.

8. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 7 wherein said actuating means is an arm projecting from said plug in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of insertion of said plug into said fluid outlet.

9. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein the interior cross-sectional dimension of said fluid outlet is small as compared to the largest cross-sectional dimension of said tank, whereby the fluid pressure force applied to the inner end of said plug by the pressurized fluid within said tank when the latter is closed is small and unable to overcome the frictional force holding said plug in said outlet.

. 10. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 1 in combination with a track adapted to guide the movement of the vehicle under the influence of gravity, said track having an upstanding projection adapted to be struck by said actuating means as the vehicle moves past said projection. 

1. A toy vehicle comprising: a. a vehicle body; b. wheels carried by said body for rollably supporting the latter; c. a tank carried by said body, said tank being adapted to be filled with a fluid under pressure and having a fluid outlet; d. a removable closure adapted to close said fluid outlet; and e. actuating means projecting from said vehicle body and adapted to strike a projection located along the path of travel of the vehicle, when the latter is in motion; for removing said closure from said outlet, thereby permitting a jet of fluid to burst from said tank and alter the motion of the vehicle.
 2. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said tank has a fluid inlet, and a one-way valve associated with said inlet for allowing fluid flow into said tank but preventing flow out of said tank through said inlet.
 3. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 2 wherein said fluid inlet includes a port surrounded by a valve seat, and said one-way valve includes a valve member inside said tank movable into and out of engagement with said valve seat to close and open the valve, respectively, a spring support fixed within said tank, and a compression spring between said spring support and said valve member for urging said valve member toward said valve seat.
 4. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said fluid outlet opens toward the rear of the vehicle, whereby when the jet of fluid issues from said outlet the vehicle is given a forward thrust.
 5. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said closure is pivotally mounted with respect to said tank and swingable between positions in which it closes and opens said fluid outlet, respectively, said closure being swingable from the position in which it closes said fluid outlet to a position in which said fluid outlet is open when said actuating means strikes a projection.
 6. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 5 wherein said pivotal mounting includes a pivot pin to which said closure is connected, a plate fixed with respect to said tank, and a U-shaped clip having a pair of arms gripping said plate between them, the bent central portion of said clip being spaced from the end of said plate, and said pivot pin being pivotally accommodated within said clip central portion.
 7. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said closure is a tapered plug adapted to fit frictionally within said fluid outlet.
 8. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 7 wherein said actuating means is an arm projecting from said plug in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of insertion of said plug into said fluid outlet.
 9. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein the interior cross-sectional dimension of said fluid outlet is small as compared to the largest cross-sectional dimension of said tank, whereby the fluid pressure force applied to the inner end of said plug by the pressurized fluid within said tank when the latter is closed is small and unable to overcome the frictional force holding said plug in said outlet.
 10. A toy vehicle as defined in claim 1 in combination with a track adapted to guide the movement of the vehicle under the influence of gravity, said track having an upstanding projection adapted to be struck by said actuating means as the vehicle moves past said projection. 